


He’s making a list, he’s checking it twice (and googling to see if South Africa have Amazon)

by twowittoowhoo



Category: Cricket RPF
Genre: complete and utter fluff, seriously toothrotting Christmas cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-08
Updated: 2017-01-08
Packaged: 2018-09-15 20:50:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9256589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twowittoowhoo/pseuds/twowittoowhoo
Summary: He gets away for a day of shopping in between training. There’s practically nothing Steve enjoys about the shopping itself, not when he could be off with his mates or lazing by the pool, but it’s Christmas. Stuart can make fun of him as much as he wants, but he wants to do this.Steven Finn is bad at presents but it doesn't really matter.





	

“We’re not even doing secret santa this year.” Stuart groans, controller almost being launched across the room as Steve scores another goal. It’s another mini FIFA tournament in his room and for once, without half the team gathered inside to mock the loser (and usually the winner), both him and Steve can stretch out properly on the bed to play, limbs mostly confined to the bed. “Bollocks. Think mine’s not connected properly.”

It never does, apparently, when Stuart’s losing.

“I want to _do_ something.” Steve says, putting his own controller aside as Stuart flops back onto the bed. They’ll probably get another game in, but it’s better to give Stuart a cooling off period when he’s been battered (he takes a quick picture of the tv screen for twitter later anyway). “I’m just useless at presents.”

With most people, you can’t tell when they’re rolling their eyes unless you’re looking at them. With Stuart, it’s a full on performance, accompanied by sound effects (heavy sighing) and a poke to the ribs just to make sure you _really_ know he’s exasperated. 

“Just buy a round of drinks at the bar or something, like a normal person.” Stuart’s already laughing and Steven’s pretty sure if he couldn’t hear the thread of fondness in his tone, he’d have already suffocated him with the pillow. The night’s still young, but Stuart’s survived for years now (somehow).

“ _You_ could try helping for once.” Steve replies as he picks his controller back up again, nudging Stuart back into action and another rematch. 

Stuart just grins at him, sounding mature and conscientious, it’s his ‘senior player’ voice in action. “I am helping, I’m distracting you from your non-existent problems by letting you win.”

There are some things Stuart only gets away with at certain times, with certain company. The absence of several of the rowdier members of the team lets him get away with that claim, Steve focused on the TV and making Stuart ‘let him win again’.

“What would you get them?” Steve asks, in lieu of swearing at the screen when Stuart manages two goals in quick succession, the bed shaking as he celebrates.

Stuart grins, waits until he blocks Steve’s team on the break before replying. “Exactly what I am getting them; nothing. And somehow, no one will care.”

He’s not focused on the game, his brain going through the teamlist that resides in there, trying to think of something, anything he could get people. So far, he’s only got an idea for Stuart and right now that’s likely to be coal.

“What about Titch, he’s /your/ teammate.” Steve stresses, although there’s an argument to be made that he probably knows Titch better than Stuart does, county affiliation notwithstanding. “And don’t say a step stool.” However tempting that would be, they’ve probably covered the ‘short’ thing with the kids’ kit.

“Bottle of lube and a key to Woakesy’s room?” Stuart ducks as Steve flails at him with the controller, jumping off the bed and celebrating as his win comes up on the screen. Steve decides to take the drink tossed at him from Stuart’s rifling through the mini-bar as a peace offering. “Or Compo’s. Although I don’t even know what’s going on there.” Stuart muses, sitting back down on the bed.

“Think Titch might be too old for him.” Steve tries to keep a straight face, but they both snicker into their drinks, but Steve makes a note to pick up some hipster coffee for Nick, glad that it’s at least one name off the list. The others might be a bit tougher. “What about Chris then?”

“Bottle of lube and a key to Titch’s room. He was flirting with Jos as well, so…” Stuart shrugs, unfazed by the glare he gets from Steve. “What? It’s not _my_ fault half the team are shagging.” He justifies, sounding deliberately prim for a man Steve knows has a past.

“Like you haven’t.” Steve retorts, can’t resist making that point, even though he knows, really, Stuart doesn’t actually care.

The TV goes blank from lack of use and they both start making a move, Stuart looking for his shoes while Steve gets the drinks cans in the bin. “It has been a while.” Stuart muses.

“Did people stop going for it once you stopped being pretty?” Steve says, waiting with a grin to see if Stuart’s going to launch a shoe at him. Thankfully it’s probably too late for either of them to want to start the kind of fight that will end up with broken lamps and whichever team members are either side of them banging on the wall. 

Stuart sniffs as he pulls his shoes on, like Steve isn’t worth his time. “Maybe I just have standards. Night Finny.”

No harm in giving it one more try, just as Stuart’s got the door open to leave. Steve leans half off the bed to see his reaction. “What about Jimmy?”

“Bottle of lube and a key to Cooky’s roo-” 

Stuart just manages to get the door shut before the pillow Steve’s thrown at him finds its target, hitting the door instead.

-

He gets away for a day of shopping in between training. There’s practically nothing Steve enjoys about the shopping itself, not when he could be off with his mates or lazing by the pool, but it’s _Christmas_. Stuart can make fun of him as much as he wants, but he wants to do this.

Especially when the last two winters touring have been, well, utter fucking shit. 

By lunch time, he’s picked up several bits and pieces, but the last one has him texting Stuart with a smile on his face. Not that Stuart’s the most receptive about the plan, but he’s also the only one who knows about it, so Steve doesn’t have much choice.

[](http://tinypic.com?ref=33othtt)

He finishes his lunch in peace, ignoring Stuart, until he ends up at a wine shop. Texting him more pictures, to make sure the wine he’s picking out is something Jimmy will appreciate. It’s not, of course, but this time Stuart’s more helpful. Steve leaves the shop with several bottles, some of them duplicates that might, if he doesn’t annoy him too much, end up with Stuart (eventually).

Heavily laden down with bags, Steve somehow gets back to his room without being spotted, mostly because everyone is still either playing golf or on the beach. Which is part of why he’s doing this, it’s not like most of his winters for the past several years have been spent at home, he’s used to the warmth and hotels, and he doesn’t quite miss the grey and cold rain of England.

That doesn’t mean that it’s not completely wrong and weird. Even if playing in a Boxing Day test beats a walk in the cold with the family trying to walk off turkey and chocolate tree ornaments. 

So he wraps the presents in peace (mostly, apart from when Stuart texts him trying to find out what he bought for him), with a lot of tape and paper that rips far too easily. Then half the presents have to be wrapped again, because of said paper ripping, a couple of them end up looking like he’s getting ready for a game of pass the parcel (he gives up on the wine bottles, manages to find a couple of gift bags in the hotel he can use for them). 

All that’s left is for him now is to bide his time, waiting until Christmas morning, early enough that no one will catch him and late enough that the gifts won’t be nicked from outside the door. Steve’s almost certain that Alastair’s already in the gym, but he’s not going to keep farmers’ hours, not even for Christmas.

He gets back into bed with a smile on his face, in spite of knowing he’ll cop a lot of stick from the lads, it’s going to be worth it.

-

It goes off well, judging by the amount of hugs and pats on the back he gets at breakfast, some of the chocolate (OK, so he ran out of inspiration for some people) being shared surreptitiously. It may be Christmas, but breakfast chocolate is still not likely to go over well with the staff.

The only mardy one is Stuart, who is not impressed by his gift of lube and condoms (he's not giving Stuart anyone's room key, so condoms it is). Knows he'll be mollified by the bottles of wine Steve snuck into his room, hidden at the side of the bed furthest from the door.

Breakfast and Christmas lunch go well, they're all reminded of how much they like each other, or at least like taking the piss of each other. He's got a brilliant video of Ben trying to shove an elf hat with ears on Titch, then sitting down on some plastic (but realistically prickly) holly Mark had put on his seat. Steve loves being with this team, being back with this team and he's glad they're only really allowed the one glass of champagne, because he could easily cross over into drunk _and_ soppy right now.

He vents his feelings by hugging Alastair as he walks past him, ignoring the octopus jokes from their teammates. If anyone else gets how _good_ it is to be with this team, it's him. Steve turns down an offer to play darts, thinks about heading down to the pool for a bit, gets as far as checking how damp his swim trunks are (answer: very), before he gets a text from Titch telling him to come pick up his present from his room.

“Fucking hell.” Steve exclaims, as soon as the door opens, Titch in a hoodie that’s far too large for him (apart from around the shoulders) and blast of cold air coming out of the room. “Air con busted Titch?” He follows him into the room and gets handed a blanket, which he quickly wraps around him as he looks around. The windows and door to the balcony’s been blocked off by a curtain of tinsel, although a couple of strands have already fallen off, the sellotape holding them there curled up and useless.

There’s also a tree (small, plastic and later he’ll find out that if you press a button it plays a very tinny version of silent night) and Jonny and Chris curled up in layers and blankets. Half a duvet as well, in Chris’ case, which starts making sense when Titch crawls under the other side of it. Maybe he should have listened to Stuart about the lube.

“Broady told us about the Christmas stuff. Thought it wouldn’t hurt getting seasonal.” Titch explains, burrowing under the covers. The only part of him showing are his face and an arm that’s holding one of those giant comedy mugs that people joke about having tea in and then never give up once they have them. There’s one for Steve as well and it’s full of the kind of hot chocolate that would be giving the nutritionist fits, topped off with whipped cream and marshmallows.

“This is _brilliant_.” He settles down in the chair left for him, wraps himself tighter in the blanket and watches the screen as Titch takes off the pause, a Muppet Christmas Carol coming to life. He takes a moment to quickly text Stuart, a thank you and a clue about the wine, before settling into the brief interlude, that will probably only last as long as it takes some of the other members of the team to realise what they’re doing. 

Steve doesn’t want to think about what they’d do, if he’s honest. He _does_ know that there’s still an imprint of Alex’s bare arse on the glass of Ben’s balcony door and he’s not sure what led to it, but he’s sure they could come up with worse, if they tried.

For now, he’ll enjoy this, even with his nose getting cold and the extra twenty minutes he’ll put in on the treadmill to budge at least some of this hot chocolate.

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the prompt: 
> 
> based on this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgItLksfR4o finny gets really genuinely concerned about what he's going to buy everyone for christmas even though no one else is doing presents for the team (except muffin squad will have to get him a present in return) (not a porny present i mean a real present) 
> 
> Thank you to all those who helped <3


End file.
